Saturday, March 1, 2008

Many people recently have come under fire for using Senator Barack Obama's middle name. It is clearly an attempt by right wing nuts to link him to his Muslim ancestry and some how to terrorism. While Hussein is a powerful and common name in the Arab/Muslim world, the soft minded people who chose not to vote for Senator Kerry because of the Swift Boat ads or because they thought he was French (I did hear that) are the one's being targeted. Daily someone tells me Sen. Obama is a closet Muslim, ready to hand over the US to his Muslim partners. While I find this fantastical thinking disturbing it works and the right wing noise machine seems to encourage it in one voice while attempting to denounce it in another. It is clear to me that this take is troubling and certainly just another ploy by them to tarnish someone with lies.

But I was wondering, could the US elect a Muslim President? Could there be a different faith in the White House besides Christianity? We have flirted with Jewish candidates in the past, and I am quite sure there were a few atheists among the so-called Christian Presidents. But I have to ask is there any real advantage to having someone with a good Christian upbring in the White House. President GW Bush and President Carter probably wore their faith the most on their sleeve and seemed to live it out more in their walking around life. Both show good Christian cred, but neither was a great President, both probably make the most people's list of worst in the last 100 years. (there were a few dunderheads in the 1800s but that is like comparing running backs now to the leather helmet days).

You see maybe we shouldn't care what religion some is or isn't and see their character, their desire to lead us in an appropriate direction. To fight to protect America and Americans not only from foreign terrorists but from other forces that allow for poverty, depression, hate and fear to thrive so well in this country. Perhaps we should be less concerned about which language they call to God in, and more about what they say when they all to us.

Barack Hussein Obama, I don't know if I want him to be President, I still support Senator Clinton, but I could easily pull the lever for him in November if he is the chose of my party, even if we find a prayer rug in his closet.